


Christmas at the Beach

by CrimsonBlueMoon (Navybluewings)



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Christmas Fluff, Cute Ending, Dorks in Love, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 03:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13137921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navybluewings/pseuds/CrimsonBlueMoon
Summary: After having to buy a present for a co-worker he barely knows, Luke finds himself in a candle store with one of the cutest men he has ever come across. Witty, modest, and able to keep Luke's attention, Ryan is a perfect match for Luke. The two find instant chemistry, but a series of unfortunate events seem to make their romance unlikely. How will Luke finally get the guy of his dreams? With a little Christmas luck!





	Christmas at the Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas everyone! This is just a little one-shot to celebrate the loveliness of Ohm and Cartoonz. I hope that you all enjoy!

“I just want you to know that you are _useless_.” Luke didn’t mince words as he stared at his friend across the food court table, who was happily munching away at the large plate of lo-mein. Blue eyes glanced up at him while slurping up the noodle that was hanging from his lips, Luke cringing at the disgusting noise. Despite knowing his friend was only a few years younger than him, the bearded man questioned his mental age. Thirty-year-old Jonathan was like a kid just graduating the fifth grade. Rolling his eyes, Luke let out a slow sigh before leaning his chin in his hand and glancing away from his friend. “Real mature, Jon.”

 

“I can’t help it; the noodles are too long!”

 

“It’s called teeth; use them.”

 

“Who the hell bites noodles?”

 

“What do you mean- you know what? Nevermind. Just hurry the fuck up so we can get out of here.” Shifting so he could pull his phone out of his pocket, Luke glanced down at the screen, realizing that the duo had been in the mall for over two hours with nothing to show for it. The point of coming to the teen infested location was simple; the men needed to locate presents for their Secret Santa at work. While Jonathan had lucked out and gotten his secret (or so Jonathan wanted to believe) crush, Evan, Luke was stuck with a woman that he had barely talked to. He probably asked her where the pencil sharpeners were once, but that was about it. Now he had to buy a gift for her? The whole process was stressing him out, and having his not-so-helpful best friend wasn’t making the situation easier.

 

“Why not get her a candle?” Sometimes, however, Jonathan was brighter than most people gave him credit for. Glancing back to his friend, he watched as the younger man scooped his final glob (which was what Luke referred to greasy mall food as) into his mouth and swallowed it before continuing. “My sister loves those Yankee Candle ones, and there’s a shop in the mall right by the movie theatre. Think they’ve got some sort of Christmas scent thing going on, too.”

 

“At this point, I’ll try anything.” Which is how two adult men ended up in the strongest smelling store known to the state of North Carolina. Scared to breath too hard and suffocate, Luke wrinkled his nose while he scoped out the store. It looked far too pristine for two gruff men like them to be in, and he was secretly worried that Jonathan would break anything he touched. Cautiously he sent a look over to the man who was already deep in the store, scanning the shelf labeled ‘fruity’. Snickering at the double meaning for his not-so-subtle friend, Luke focused back on the task at hand. The store was sort of intimidating, but if it was going to solve his gift problem, then Luke would suffer through- 

 

A gentle sigh wrapped around the bearded man’s ear instantly grabbed his attention, Luke glancing at the cash register. There, with a little cranberry apron and a pair of ridiculous antlers, stood a man that made Luke freeze in his tracks. Hazel eyes were distant as they peered at a store catalog, brunet hair short and slightly ruffled underneath the headband. The grey v-neck the man wore outlined the bicep that leaned against the counter, and Luke felt his eyes linger for a moment longer than acceptable before looking back to his face. A flip of the page didn’t seem to interest the man, though his head did raise when the cashier seemed to recognize Jonathan and Luke’s appearance in the store. The once unfocused eyes were quick to center on Luke, widening when realizing he had been overheard.

 

“Um...that sigh wasn’t aimed at you.” His voice, Luke decided instantly, made the man even more attractive. It was firm without the rugged edges, and it rubbed something inside the bearded man the right way. Adding to the fact that there was an obvious embarrassment in his flushed face, the man was bumped straight into Luke’s list of hot men. Not wanting to let the silence linger too long, Luke gave a casual shrug of his shoulder before moving his gaze onto the Christmas promotion next to the registrar.

 

“Nah, I get it. Holidays probably suck working here. And the smell is...” Unable to find the right wording without sounding like a prick, Luke was relieved to hear the other man pick up where he trailed off.

 

“Overwhelming? Yeah, that’s a pain to get used to. I thought my nose was gonna fall off the first time I walked in here.” Then, as if Luke didn’t have enough reasons to find the man behind the apron impossibly attractive, the cashier laughed. It was dorky, there was no way around that truth. He should have known by how comfortable the man felt wearing antlers on his head that he wasn’t opposed to making himself look geeky. But like Batman and his weakness with women, Luke had always been drawn in by men on the nerdy side. Luke knew he didn’t look the part of an avid gamer, but he enjoyed Hearthstone and Dead By Daylight as much as any try-hard. That would’ve been how he and Jonathan spent their day off if not for the stupid Secret Santa. So the giggle it didn’t take away from the man’s appeal. It was hard for Luke to keep his eyes focused on the glass jars of wax in front of him, so he found an excuse to turn his attention back to the worker.

 

“Alright, Mr…” Catching the name of the man was easy, as it was plastered on a nametag on his apron. “Ryan. I’ve gotta get a candle for a woman I don’t know shit about. Any suggestions?”

 

“Take her to dinner? I’ve heard that’s the best way to get to know someone.” So the man wasn’t above stupid jokes. Ryan seemed satisfied with his comeback, walking around the counter as Luke rolled his eyes.

 

“Yeah, my dick ain’t going anywhere near them.”

 

“Them as in this mystery woman, or them as in any woman?” Luke noticed the side glance that the cashier gave him before turning back to the selection in front of them. The question had ulterior motives, and Luke had to give Ryan credit for being bolder than he would have expected.

 

“Male or female ain’t the problem here; she’s in her sixties.” At Luke’s reply, Ryan gave a quiet hum before turning his focus to the candles. The bearded man wasn’t sure if his answer was sufficient enough to imply he was bi-sexual. But the cashier didn’t ask for clarification, so Luke assumed he was smart enough to catch on.

 

“Well, from my wax burning expertise, I know that the _Candy Cane Lane_ is a hit with most older women who come in. But a word of advice?”

 

“I ain’t gonna deny some help. Lay it on me.”

 

“Wax melts are the popular item at the moment. If you look over here,” Luke felt the brush of Ryan’s hand against the back of his bicep, and for a second the bearded man wondered what it would feel like without the sleeve between their skin. Luke allowed Ryan guide him to the front of the store, pointing to the delicate porcelain display he had been worried about earlier. The hand stayed on him while Ryan continued. “Wax melts are the popular item this year, especially for older customers. It’s safer since there’s no open flame and the wax doesn’t burn as hot. They’re the same price as one of our large candles.”

 

“I didn’t even know what these things were,” Luke admitted, reaching up to scratch the side of his beard and sigh. It caused the muscle of both arms to tighten, reminding Luke that the other man’s hand was still resting on him. Glancing over to Ryan, he was pleasantly surprised to see the cashier giving him a subtle once-over before glancing back to the wax melters.

 

“Um...they’re kinda new.” Grinning at the obvious modesty now rising from the other man, Luke knew what the look had meant. Ryan had been checking him out, as well. Luke wasn’t stupid; he knew he was a good-looking man. It was what made being open to either sex so much fun; women were in awe and men liked to test the limits of his muscles. Though Ryan didn’t look weak, it was obvious who had the better muscle tone. And if the red now staining Ryan’s cheek meant anything, the cashier seemed to appreciate Luke’s body, too. Not wanting to be too forward, Luke glanced down at the wax warmers and tried to hide his excitement over his new discovery.

 

“So which one should I get?”

 

“The twilight forest design is one of best sellers.” The cashier pointed to the metal looking design, which held an elegant style with a blue sheer background.

 

“That’s actually really cool looking,” Luke complimented, Ryan’s smile bright as he picked up the wax warmer.

 

“I’ve got one at home, though I opted for the auburn background.”

 

“It works good? Don’t want to give a present that only looks nice.” The rich laugh that came from Ryan made the store feel a few degrees hotter for Luke, whose eyes refused to leave the alluring sight of the cashier’s amused face.

 

“Now would I lead you astray? We’ve known each other for a whole five minutes. We’re practically married.” Ryan’s response was coy as he grinned and waved the warmer next to his face, Luke trying to ignore the squeeze in his stomach from the sight.

 

“You make the offer tempting.”

 

“Let me make it even better.” Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment, and Luke felt there was a double meaning behind the words before Ryan dropped his eyes back to the warmer in his hands. “Because of the special code I happen to have, you get four Magical Frosted Forest wax tarts for free with the purchase.”

 

“You give this special promotion to all your customers, or should I consider myself special?” Then, pushing the boundary a little further, Luke stepped closer, their chests only being separated by the wax warmer. Instantly hazel eyes popped back up to look at Luke, and there was a breathless tone in Ryan’s voice when he responded.

 

“What do you think?”

 

“I think-” But before Luke could continue, a heavy weight was dropped onto his back. He didn’t need eyes on the back of his head to know who it was that was practically laying on top of him.

 

“Jonathan-”

 

“Luke.” Jonathan’s queasy tone made Luke tense, quick to glance back at the man’s paler than normal face. “We need to go.”

 

“Are you kidding me?”

 

“I think that lo-mein I ate isn’t agreeing with me…”

 

“Uh, I’ll go ring this up for you.” Ryan’s awkward smile before scurrying away from the two made Luke groan, rubbing his face with his hand. Never before had he wanted to punch Jonathan as much as he did at that very moment. Of course, the other man thought they were a couple; his best friend was holding onto him like a baby orangutan. If not for the fear of Jonathan puking on him, the bearded man would have elbowed him hard in the stomach.

 

“This is the _last_ time you’re eating mall food.” In response, Jonathan gave another groan before burying his face into Luke’s neck, a loud grumble from the man’s stomach proving he wasn’t exaggerating.

 

“I’m gonna hurl.”

 

“Fuck, okay. Go lay down on the bench outside of the store. I’ll be right out.” Slowly Jonathan detached himself from Luke’s back, the older man watching his friend’s wobbly steps toward the bench before glancing back at the man behind the cashier. “Sorry about him.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryan dismissed, only looking up from his register when the total came up. “It’s going to be $17.99.”

 

“Yeah, no problem.” The exchange of money and the pristinely wrapped gift was quick, and Luke tried to find a way to explain the weird dynamic between him and Jonathan. “Listen, Jonathan and I-”

 

But before he could finish, the bell of the store chimed. Both men glanced up to see a group of girls entering the store, their loud giggles and chatter quick to break any atmosphere left from earlier between the two men.

 

“I should probably go take care of them. Hope she enjoys her gift and good luck with Jonathan.” Despite the misunderstanding, Ryan still gave him a smile that made Luke’s heartbeat increase, the bearded man giving a slow nod before watching Ryan move to greet the new customers. Frustrated, Luke mentally berated himself while leaving the store, knowing he couldn’t go back at the moment to explain himself. Jonathan needed him, and even if he was the biggest cockblock known to man, he was still Luke’s best friend. For now, his focus couldn’t be on hazel eyes and a dorky laugh.

 

But that didn’t mean he was done with Ryan.

 

~**~

 

For the next week, Luke’s job made it a priority to keep him just long enough for the mall to close. Whether it was deadlines before the new year, shifts that needed covering (like Jonathan’s, who had food poisoning for two days), or the holiday party he wasn’t able to skip out of, the bearded man was foiled every time he attempted to return to the candle store. His present was received well, and several other women throughout the Christmas party asked him where he had gotten the gift. Each time they asked, the man was brought back to the face of the man he couldn’t get out of his head. Ryan wasn’t just a pretty face; the small pieces of conversation and flirting had really left a mark on Luke’s soul.

 

It was less than two weeks before Christmas when Luke was finally given the chance to return to the scented store. The lack of cars in the parking lot was surprising to the man, as he knew many people used this time to try and get their gifts bought and taken care of. Then again it was Tuesday night, which was not an opportune time to come to the mall. The cold of the dry winter air was still prickling in Luke’s cheeks as he walked into the mall, rubbing his hands together to try and warm them up. The soft hum of Christmas music was heard in the empty mall, Luke semi-tuning it out while making his way toward the candle store. He knew that the place would be closing in the next twenty minutes, but he felt that was plenty of time to execute his “plan”.

 

“Good evening, how can I-” Ryan’s practiced speech halted when his eyes left the shelf he was stocking to look at the customer. “You came back.”

 

“Am I not supposed to?”

 

“No, it’s just-was there something wrong with the warmer?” Instantly Luke shook his head, and the cashier gave him a frown before he glanced around. “You didn’t bring...Jonathan? That was his name, right?”

 

“Yup, though he responds to ‘asshole’ or ‘little bitch’ too.” The blunt answer seemed to take the cashier by surprise, and Luke made sure his words were clear when continuing. “I’m pretty sure my best friend is currently on his first date with our co-worker. Well, I say it’s a date; they’re calling it ‘Christmas shopping’.”

 

“O-Oh.” The mixture of surprise and obvious joy reflected on the cashier’s face wasn’t hid well, which felt like a good sign for Luke. “So you’re single?”

 

“Forward, much?” Instantly Ryan seemed to understand his error, his blush returning full force to his face. Trying to keep his mini victory to himself, Luke glanced around the store, casually slipping one hand into the pocket of his jeans. “I haven’t been able to find a present for my mom yet, so I thought I’d come back here and see if you had any good ideas. You were pretty spot on last time.”

 

“Well that’s my job, isn’t it?” Seeming to collect himself from his previous shock, Ryan moved over to Luke, his hands clasped behind his back and a grin on her face. “Alright, let’s start with a basic question. What kind of scents is she into?”

 

“Uh, she’s always got sweet smells in her house. She’s a baker, so that’s all I ever smell.”

 

“So she’s the same as me. I might have some options for you to test out.” And then, Ryan hesitated before holding his hand out to Luke. A little surprised by the boldness of the cashier, it took a moment for Luke to shrug and take the offer. Warm fingers slipped between his as the cashier led him toward the corner of the store where Jonathan had visited on their last trip. The number of colors and scents were slightly intimidating for the newbie candle shopper, though he tried to focus on the warm grip in his own while Ryan spoke. “Fruit-scented candles always carry a sweeter scent to them, so it’s a good place to start. Our best seller is _Juicy Watermelon_ , but _Summer Scoop_ tends to be a favorite for people looking for a different smell.”

 

“Why would _Cherries in the Snow_ smell any different than normal cherries?” He picked up the small candle to show it to Ryan, who smiled while shrugging his shoulders.

 

“Compare it to this one; they do smell different.” The cashier trailed his hand over the shelves until he found a darker red candle with the _Black Cherry_ label on the front. He popped open the lid and lifted the candle, allowing Luke to take a sniff at both while he continued to talk. “There’s also _Cherry Blossom_ and _Cherry Lemonade_ , but both of those are seasonal.”

 

“And this is why I couldn’t work here; people would ask me the difference and I’d just tell them they were stupid.” The blunt comment had the other man laughing loudly, Luke enjoying the sound in the deserted store. Placing the candles back onto the shelves, he turned his attention to the man beside him. “So which one is your favorite?”

 

“Of the cherry variety or in general?”

 

“Out of the whole store.” The bearded man watched hazel eyes light up before Ryan spoke, his excitement obvious in his tone.

 

“ _Christmas at the Beach_ is hands down, the best scent we sell. Its this mix of pineapple, coconut, and cilantro and it smells amazing.”

 

“You weren’t kidding about the fruit thing, huh?” Teasing Ryan was starting to become Luke’s favorite pastime, snickering to himself when the other man gave a dramatic eye roll.

 

“Alright, Mr.Burly, what would you choose as your favorite smell?” 

 

“First of all, it's Luke. Second, I don’t know. I don’t work in a damn candle shop.” Yet when Ryan simply arched his eyebrow at the man, Luke sighed and used his free hand to scratch his beard. “But if I was gonna take a shot in the dark about this...I’ve always liked the smell of cafes or coffee shops. I just kind of like the fresh smell of it mixed in with caramel or cinnamon. Not too strong or fluffy, just kind of in the middle.”

 

“I could see the appeal of that. There’s a cafe down the street from here that I like to sit in and read on days I have off. It’s mostly for the atmosphere, but the smell of it is a definite bonus.” The emphasized word was paired with a soft squeeze against Luke’s hand, reminding the man that the two were still touching. Luke’s brain was quick to catch onto Ryan’s hint of blush, and the man knew it was the opportunity he was waiting for.

 

“Maybe we could-”

 

“Don’t be giving out our secret hangout!” Except a voice that Luke had never heard before cut straight through their conversation. Glancing at the door of the shop, Luke was surprised to see that the lights of the mall were much dimmer than when he first came in. How long had he been in the store? And more importantly, who was the blue-haired guy now walking toward them. “If you start telling customers about it, we’ll never get a table.”

 

“Craig, it’s not a big deal.” Ryan’s smile contradicted the annoyed tone of his voice, the cashier glancing back to Luke and sighing. “Luke, meet Craig, my best friend who I was nice enough to let borrow my car with the promise to wait _outside_ for me to close up.”

 

“I got bored waiting. Plus, I wanted to see if Tyler was on mall-cop duty so I could pretend to get stuck on the escalator again. He face gets so red when I do that.” The grin the man with glasses wore showed his mischievous intent, which didn’t seem to waver as he glanced at Luke. “But now I see what was keeping my precious Ryan so long.”

 

“Oh god, please don’t do this.” But the beg from Ryan didn’t seem to phase his friend, Craig quick to respond.

 

“Look at this super hottie. I think his bicep is as big as my head. You didn’t tell me you had a new boyfriend; I thought we were best friends!”

 

“Jesus Christ,” Ryan muttered, pressing his free hand onto his face while his friend let out a whistle. It was obvious he was doing it to simply tease the cashier, but Luke couldn’t help but feel a little awkward at the attention. He hadn’t even been able to ask for Ryan’s number yet! And by how red the man looked already, asking now would only make the situation worse. Mentally cursing his second attempt being ruined by another best friend, Luke turned back to Ryan and gave him a smile.

 

“The mall looks like it’s closing anyway, so I’ll come back another time for the candle.”

 

“But I-”

 

“Don’t sweat it. I’ll come back, okay?” Because if he _did_ buy the candle, he wouldn’t have another reason to show up and talk to Ryan. Against what he really wanted to do, Luke pulled his hand back from Ryan’s, keeping the move discreet to not set off the cashier’s best friend again. Sending one last look to Ryan, Luke left the store with neither a candle nor a phone number.

 

~**~

 

Luke did come back the first chance he got, only to realize that there were other people who did work in the store. Three different people, in fact, as that was how many times Luke had stopped by the mall to ‘buy a candle’. Now, with only two days left before Christmas, Luke knew this was the last chance he would get to see Ryan. Mentally, the man understood that the store wouldn’t simply disappear after the holiday. But this felt important to their story. If fate was going to keep making them miss each other or have best friends ruin everything, then maybe there was a reason for it. So pulling into the mall on a cloudy afternoon, Luke took a deep breath and glanced at the man standing next to him.

 

“Do not even _think_ about asking to get lunch.”

 

“I-I wasn’t gonna!” But the truth in Jonathan’s guilty blue stare meant otherwise. Seeming too stubborn to admit to it, the younger man pointed to a paper store across from the Yankee Candle. “I was _gonna_ say that I’ve got to go get a bag and-and _tissue paper_ for Evan’s present!”

 

“Sure.” He didn’t believe him for a second, but Luke wasn’t there to argue with Jonathan. Turning back to the candle store, Luke pushed himself through the doorway and almost walked straight into another person. It was harder to avoid her than the bearded man imagined, as the entire store was filled with people. It was almost impossible to even see the workers hustling through the customers, and it was the first time that Luke had seen more than one worker in the store. Being so close to Christmas must have been a crazy time for last minute shoppers.

 

And in the middle of all of this was Ryan. The ugly antlers were back on the brunet’s head, making it easy to spot him helping an older male with his purchase. As soon as he had finished with that customer, a couple walked up to him, seeming to need help with the pricing chart. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Ryan’s ability to speak to Luke was slim, and the option of getting or receiving a number was even less likely. Why was the world making this so hard?!

 

“Sir, can I help you?” The man with the name tag ‘Brock’ seemed to pick up on Luke’s distress, though he was nowhere near close to guessing what the stress was about. Disheartened by the flood of people standing between him and the man of interest, Luke turned to the nearest display and pulled a candle from it. Not looking at the scent, he faced the other worker, his words lacking any enthusiasm.

 

“I just need to buy this.”

 

“Good choice; I think that’s the last one we have of that scent. So the small tumbler jars are $14.99 each, but for the Christmas scents, we have a ‘buy one, get one free’ going on. Would you like to get a second one?” Luke blinked at the information Brock gave him before looking at the candle, feeling his heart swell at the scent. _Christmas at the Beach_ had a pretty white tone to it, with a hammock and beach picture as it’s label. The candle fit perfectly in his hand, and he sent a glance to the display to confirm Brock’s claim. Out of all of the scents in the store, Luke had picked Ryan’s favorite scent.

 

“Well I’ll be damned,” Luke muttered, staring at the label for a second before he glanced back to Brock. “Two for one, you said?”

 

“Yup, though you’ll have to pick a different scent than that one-”

 

“That’s fine. Here, I'll take uh, this... _Alpine Martini_ one.”

 

Luke barely looked at the new candle he collected off the display as he held out his card, feeling antsy as Brock rung him up for his purchase. He continued to glance over at Ryan throughout the sale, who was still caught up in helping customers with their choices. For the first time since entering the store, Luke was happy for the chaos.The bearded man gave a quick ‘thanks’ to Brock before grabbing his bag, rushing out of the store and looking for his best friend. When seeing Jonathan on a familiar bench, he rushed over, seeming to scare the man when he dropped his bag onto the bench next to him.

 

“Jesus, Luke!”

 

“Last week, when you went on that date with Evan-”

 

“I-It wasn’t a date.”

 

“Whatever. You said you went to some light festival after shopping. Where was that?” Jonathan blinked for a moment before he pursed his lips, seeming to think back through his brain before he spoke.

 

“Central Park. You know, the one with the weird owl fountain? Evan loves that thing.” Trying not to shout about how little he cared about their co-worker’s admiration for the bird, Luke placed his hands on Jonathan’s shoulders to focus the man.

 

“Next question; you bought a bag for Evan, right? And tissue paper?” Jonathan seemed skeptical as he gave a slow nod, Luke sighing in relief before he held out his hand. “Great, I need it.”

 

“What the hell?”

 

“And the permanent marker I know you keep in your back pocket.”

 

“No way! That’s my lucky marker; I got Rynx’s autograph with it!”

 

“You owe me for the lo-mein, you cock-blocking bastard.” Instantly Jonathan huffed at the accusation, his arms crossing over his chest while he glared at Luke.

 

“This is stupid, why can’t you go buy your own-”

 

“Just shut up and give me the stuff. I’ll explain later, but I _need_ it right now, okay?” There must have been a weird waver in Luke’s voice because Jonathan gave him a wary look before he slowly sighed and leaned forward to snatch the marker from his jeans.

 

“You better not lose it.” Luke rolled his eyes at Jonathan’s childish tone, grabbing the candle from his bag. Turning the silver cover toward him, the bearded man wrote ‘8pm, Light show in central park. I’ll be there. Will you?’ across the top before stuffing the candle into Jonathan’s bag. Covering up the present with the tissue paper, Luke tossed the marker back at his confused friend before turning back to the store, determination pushing him through the crowd. He didn’t stop until he stood next to Ryan, who was still speaking with the couple from before. He paused in his explanation of a ‘pillar candle’ to glance at the newcomer, hazel eyes blinking in obvious confusion.

 

“Luke?”

 

“Not trying to interrupt. Just take this.” Before Ryan could question him further, Luke placed the bag into his hands. Not waiting for a response, Luke spun back around and immersed himself in the sea of customers. The message, he felt, was pretty clear. If Ryan didn’t want to take a chance on the man, then he wouldn’t show and Luke would know his answer. There was no more beating around the bush between the two. He was too old and didn’t have enough patience to keep playing games.

 

“You going to tell me why you needed to hijack my bag now?” Jonathan asked when Luke returned to the bench, the older man grabbing his remaining candle before he nodded to the paper store. Jonathan, seeming pleased with the implication of getting another bag, was quick to follow. Luke turned his attention back to the candle store as he spoke.

 

“Well...I either just scored myself a date, or I am possibly the creepiest candle buyer in the universe. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

 

And he hoped to the Christmas gods that it was the first option.

 

~**~

 

It hadn’t felt so cold the first twenty minutes that Luke had stood by the gate of the town’s central park. Pressing his teeth together as he glanced at his phone, the man silently cursed at the time. It was ten minutes past the meeting time, and there was no sign of Ryan. The laughter and bright lights from inside the park did little to ease the slight ache starting to grow in Luke’s chest. Had he been wrong about Ryan having a mutual attraction to him? It seemed unlikely, as the man had been the one who initiated a lot of their physical contact. Plus, there had been obvious flirting. These thoughts were what kept Luke at the gate past their meeting time. It was stupid of him to make plans on such short notice. Ryan had been working, and Luke didn’t know when he would get off. Plus, what if the other man had plans already? There was no saying their little flirting would cause Ryan to blow off his schedule for Luke. Silently berating himself for the rash decision, Luke pressed his arms closer to him and tried to ignore the way the cold bit at the edges of his ears. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait.

 

“Luke!” The sound of his name in the air snapped the bearded man’s head up to look, his previous thoughts of the cold melting when seeing Ryan running toward him. The other man yelped as he slipped on some ice, but caught himself before falling to the ground. The jerky movement made something in Ryan’s hand sway, and Luke barely got a look at the red bag before the cashier dropped his hands to his knees and gasped out his next sentence. “You waited.”

 

“Running a little late, I see.” He tried to frame it as a joke, but Ryan was quick to defend himself with rushed words.

 

“I thought I wasn’t going to hit traffic when I was coming back from the other store, but there was some sort of accident--here.” The lack of breath cut off the other man’s explanation, the bag from before being lifted into Luke’s face. Slowly, the bearded man took it, his eyes glancing down to take in the contents of the bag.

 

“You got me a candle?”

 

“It’s _Cafe Al Fresco_ ; basically, a coffee shop in a jar.” And when Luke took off the top to smell it, the aroma that flooded his senses was exactly what he had envisioned.

 

“It...really does.” The fact that he wasn’t the only one who remembered their conversation made it hard for Luke not to grin like a kid on Christmas morning. Finally seeming to catch his breath, Ryan pushed up to stand straight again, his sheepish smile shooting right through Luke’s heart.

 

“The night we were talking...I knew our store didn’t have it in stock. I was gonna use it as an excuse to get your number so I could text you when it came in, but then Craig came and messed everything up. So when I saw your present, I just-I searched in our directory and drove to the nearest store that still had it in stock. That’s how I got stuck in the traffic.”

 

“You...are such a _dork_.” 

 

"Hey! You did it fi-first!" At Ryan's counter, Luke let out a loud laugh and dropped the candle back into his bag, not hesitating to move into Ryan’s space. 

 

"You bet your ass I did. And now, I'm going to kiss you." Because what else was there to say? There was no fear of misread cues or conflicted feelings now, and Luke didn’t think twice about ducking down and kissing the man who shivered at the touch. The cold around them was forgotten as Luke took his time with the kiss, keeping his hands pressed to the cheeks of the cashier. If Ryan minded, he didn’t show it, leaning up on his toes to better deepen their connection. Chapped lips were quickly smoothed over, Luke enjoying having the smaller man pressed into his chest. Arms were wrapped around his neck, fingers twining through the hair on the back of his neck. The aggravation and missed opportunities were worth it if the result tasted as sweet as Ryan did. A tingling sensation from the crisp air chilled Luke’s mouth when he pulled away to breathe, though it didn't remove the warmth in his chest.

 

“Wow.” Ryan’s one worded answer seemed to sum up the experience for Luke, who grinned with pride as he leaned down to brush his nose against the other’s.

 

“Got a candle better than that?”

 

“Hmm.” Slow to pull away from the warmth Luke was sure he was exuding, Ryan gave a grin of his own before turning his back to the bearded man. Confused, Luke blinked as Ryan moved through the gate, pausing only to glance back and Luke and smirk. “There’s one in my apartment that might be better. Maybe you’d like to come by after and compare?”

 

“Fuck.”

 

“Now who’s being forward?” And with a wink Ryan was off, laughing into the air while he entered the festival of lights.

 

“That little bitch.” Luke, despite being left in the cold, felt himself grin as he chased after the other man. Ryan may have started the battle...

 

But the smell of _Cafe Al Fresco_ filling Ryan’s bedroom the next morning meant that Luke had won the war.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my story! If you enjoyed, don't hesitate to leave a kudos and a comment. And check out my tumblr!


End file.
